[Behavior therapy for patients with dental fear]

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Behavioral Therapy
• Dentistry

Context:

• Many dentists encounter patients with odontophobia (dental phobia).
• While some patients benefit from a dentist's inherent skills, severe cases require specialized psychological treatment.
• Establishing a trusting patient-therapist relationship is essential but frequently neglected in dental anxiety treatment.

Purpose:

• To describe various behavior therapy techniques applicable to treating odontophobia.
• To highlight the importance of the patient-therapist relationship in managing dental phobia.
• To discuss the practical challenges of implementing these therapies in private dental practice.

Summary:

• This article details behavior therapy methods for odontophobia, including systematic desensitization, fading, flooding, stress inoculation training, modeling, assertiveness training, progressive relaxation, and biofeedback.
• It emphasizes that successful phobia treatment necessitates a strong, trusting patient-therapist alliance.
• The procedures are time-consuming, posing economic challenges for private dental practices.

Impact:

• Provides dentists with an overview of evidence-based psychological interventions for dental phobia.
• Underscores the critical role of therapeutic relationships in managing dental anxiety.
• Raises awareness about the practical and economic barriers to integrating advanced psychological treatments in routine dental care.